Easy opening arrangement for reclosable can

ABSTRACT

A reclosable fiber can having body wall sections separated by a cut, an outer label, a pull element between the label and body located over the cut, wherein said label is secured to the outer surface of the body except in the marginal areas on opposite sides of said cut.

United States Patent Melvin A. Koboldt St. Louis, Mo.

Jan. 27, 1969 May 25, 1971 Container Corporation 01' America Chicago, Ill.

Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee EASY OPENING ARRANGEMENT FOR RECLOSABLE CAN 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 229/51, 229/5.6 Int. Cl B65d 3/10, B65d 17/06 Field of Search 229/51 (S), 5.6

u 13,ss0,4s1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,896,400 2/1933 Gaseltine 229/5 1(S) 1,936,417 11/1933 Ware 229/51(S) 2,638,820 5/1953 Barnes 229/51(S)X 2,991,923 7/1961 Wilson 229/51(S) 3,113,668 12/1963 Taylor 229/5 1 (S) FOREIGN PATENTS 839,769 5/1952 Germany 229/51(1) 556,621 4/1957 Belgium 229/51(1) 1,178,006 9/1964 Germany 229/5 1(1) Primary Examiner-Davis T. Moorhead Attorney-Richard W. Carpenter ABSTRACT: A reclosable fiber can having body wall sections separated by a cut, an outer label, a pull element between the label and body located over the cut, wherein said label is secured to the outer surface of the body except in the marginal areas on opposite sides of said cut.

PATENTED m2 5 I971 IIIIIJ INVE NTOR MELVIN A. KOBOLDT MTTORNEY EASY OPENING ARRANGEMENT FOR RECLOSABLE CAN This invention represents an improvement on various pull string or pull tab easy opening arrangements for reclosable fiber cans, such as the opening arrangement described and illustrated in copending application for United States Letters Patent, Ser. No. 699,154; filed Jan. 19, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,195; in the name of Melvin A. Koboldt; for Stackable Container.

It is an object of this invention to provide, in a reclosable fiber can having a telescoping end, an easy opening arrangement where the label is free from adhesive attachment to the can body in the areas immediately adjacent the cut which divides the can body into separate sections.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision, in an invention of the type described, of a can body having a release agent coated on its outer surface in the areas immediately adjacent the cut which divides it into separate sections, which release agent serves to prevent adhesive connection between the outer label and the can body in said areas.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fiber can embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the relationship of the can body and can end after they have been separated from each other;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the can body illustratedin FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of the invention, it will be seen that in FIG. I there is shown a fiber can embodying features of the invention. The fiber can, as better seen in FIG. 3, includes a tubular body indicated generally at 10, which is preferably formed of paperboard, and to which there is initially attached a telescoping reclosable end 12.

Still referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that end 12 in this embodiment as shown is preferably formed of metal or plastic and includes a tubular skirt 14 having at the inner end thereof a transverse wall 16 and having at the outer end thereof a flange 18 which may be secured or seamed to the adjacent end edge of can body in a conventional manner.

Still referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that can body 10 includes a tubular body wall 20 having an upper section 224 separated from a lower section 22b by a circumferential cut 24 which divides the body into the two abutting wall sections. In the case of the embodiment illustrated in the drawings the cut 24 is located in the can body wall between transverse wall 16 and the upper extremity of the can body, so that when the cover is removed from the body of the can, in a manner hereinafter described, can end 12 may be reinserted into the body of the can'in a telescoping manner, as shown in FIG. 2.

As is known to those familiar with the an of producing fiber cans, one of the problems in connection with providing an easy opening arrangement for a reclosable can having a telescoping end is that of insuring perfect alignment between the pull string or pull tab and the out which divides the can body into separate sections. If the pull string is not in perfect alignment with the cut, because of the adhesive connection between the inner surface of the label and the outer surface of the can body, it is almost impossible to open the can by the pull string without causing a jagged and unsightly edge around the opening. This is not only undesirable from the standpoint of aesthetics, but also it can make the telescoping reclosure of the container more difficult.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, Applicant has provided a means of overcoming this problem by coating marginal areas 26 of the can body which are immediately adjacent to cut 24 with a chemical release agent which serves to prevent the outer label from adhering to the can body in those areas when the label is adhesively attached to the can body.

In forming the can body, after the release agent has been applied a pull string or pull tab, indicated generally at 40, is applied to the can body, and outer label 30 is adhesively secured to the entire surface of the outer can body except at areas 26 where the release coating has been applied. Thus, in the event the pull string 40 is not in perfect alignment with the cut, a margin of error is thereby provided, so that when the pull tab is opened the label will not adhere to the outer surface of the can body in the areas immediately adjacent the cut, and a clean opening will result.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a can having a recessed end of the type shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be understood that the same arrangement may be applied to a can formed from a two-ply body wall, as illustrated in FIG. 6, wherein an additional or inner ply 21 may be provided which is also formed of paperboard but which does not have cut in direct alignment with the cut 24 in the outer ply of the body wall.

Also it will be understood that the invention can be applied to a container wherein the end is not completely removable, such as a square can, wherein the cut extends only three sides and the pull tab is operative along only three sides so that the connection between the can body and can end along the fourth side provides a hinge arrangement.

I claim:

1. In an easy opening arrangement for a reclosable fiber can having a telescoping end the combination of:

a. a tubular can body having a body wall separated into two abutting sections by a single, continuous, circumferentially disposed cut extending around said wall;

b. said body wall having on its outer surface, along opposite sides of said cut, marginal areas coated with a release agent to prevent adhesive compositions from adhering to said surface in said areas;

c. an outer label adhesively secured to said body throughout said outer surface except at said areas;

d. a relatively narrow, pull element interposed between said outer label and said can body at said marginal areas in approximate alignment with said cut. 

1. In an easy opening arrangement for a reclosable fiber can having a telescoping end the combination of: a. a tubular can body having a body wall separated into two abutting sections by a single, continuous, circumferentially disposed cut extending around said wall; b. said body wall having on its outer surface, along opposite sides of said cut, marginal areas coated with a release agent to prevent adhesive compositions from adhering to said surface in said areas; c. an outer label adhesively secured to said body throughout said outer surface except at said areas; d. a relatively narrow, pull element interposed between said outer label and said can body at said marginal areas in approximate alignment with said cut. 